MLB News

Rangers slug 3 homers to take down Tigers

By
T.R. Sullivan and Jason BeckMLB.com

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers hit three home runs off of Tigers starter Justin Verlander and won for the fifth time in six games with a 10-4 victory on Tuesday night at Globe Life Park. The Tigers have lost nine of their last 11.

"That's a big boost for our guys," manager Jeff Banister said. "Great approach up and down the lineup, just continuing to make him work and hunt for pitches they could hit, hunting pitches up in the zone they could put the barrel on. To beat Verlander after the way he has been pitching is a big boost for our club."

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers hit three home runs off of Tigers starter Justin Verlander and won for the fifth time in six games with a 10-4 victory on Tuesday night at Globe Life Park. The Tigers have lost nine of their last 11.

"That's a big boost for our guys," manager Jeff Banister said. "Great approach up and down the lineup, just continuing to make him work and hunt for pitches they could hit, hunting pitches up in the zone they could put the barrel on. To beat Verlander after the way he has been pitching is a big boost for our club."

Robinson Chirinos, Joey Gallo and Mike Napoli all went deep off of Verlander, who gave up three home runs in a game for only the 10th time in 377 career starts. Verlander allowed five runs in six innings and had a three-game winning streak at a time when he is once again being prominently mentioned in trade rumors.

Rangers starter A.J. Griffin picked up the win by holding the Tigers to one run in five innings. He allowed five hits, walked two and struck out four before departing having thrown 93 pitches. Rangers starters are 8-3 with a 3.30 ERA in their last 12 games.

"We have a great lineup," Griffin said. "If you keep your team in the game, good things are going to happen so give a huge shoutout to all the great batters putting pressure on their pitcher. It's fun to have it all together like that."

Griffin left with a 5-1 lead after five. The Tigers cut it to 5-3 in the top of the seventh, but Rougned Odor manufactured a big run in the bottom of the seventh and the Rangers broke it open with four in the eighth. The big hit in that inning was Napoli's two-run single.

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDBack-to-back blasts:Nomar Mazara put the Rangers ahead with an RBI single in the fourth and Gallo followed with his 34th home run of the season into the upper deck in deep right-center. This one had an exit velocity of 108 mph, according to Statcast™, and an estimated distance of 459 feet. Napoli then hit one into the left-field seats to give the Rangers a 5-1 lead. It's the third time this season the Rangers have hit back-to-back home runs.

Odor steals run: Odor gave the Rangers an extra run in the bottom of the seventh by stealing two bases, including home -- at least initially. Odor led off the inning with a walk off reliever A.J. Jimenez and then stole second. He ended up at third when catcher John Hicks' throw ended up in center. Jimenez struck out Chirinos and retired Delino DeShields on a pop to shallow right, leaving Odor at third.

Left-hander Daniel Stumpf then came in to pitch to DeShields, but as he was getting ready to throw a 2-2 pitch, Odor broke for home and was easily safe. A balk was also called on Stumpf, negating what should have been credited as a steal of home.

"People don't try to steal home very much, but you can't ever not be aware of the baserunners," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "It doesn't happen often, but it just goes to show you, you've got to be aware where the baserunners are and what they're doing. Stumpf just got in a zone where he wanted to make his pitch and forgot about the baserunner, and it cost us."

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDSWhen Matt Bush entered in the seventh inning, it marked the first time both Bush and Verlander appeared in the same game. Bush was the first overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft, Verlander the second.

KINSLER SPEAKS OUTA day after being ejected by home-plate umpire Angel Hernandez, Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler expressed his frustration with the veteran umpire prior to Tuesday's game.

"He's messing with baseball games. Blatantly," Kinsler said. "It's not just a borderline call here or there. There are arguments every game, there are frustrations every game, or a certain pitch where if you call it a strike the hitter is going to be mad, or if you call that same pitch a ball the pitcher's going to be mad. Umpires have to deal with that every game. But when it becomes blatant, then it's wrong. … It has to do with changing the game. He's changing the game. He needs to find another job. He really does."

After the game, Hernandez -- who said he was not aware of Kinsler's comments -- stayed above the fray.

"I have nothing to say, as a matter of fact," Hernandez said. "I'm not at liberty. I'm just an umpire. You know what we do, we go out there every day, we're out there every day, whether it's a day game, whether it's a night game, just like the players, and we have a job to do, and that's what we do. I'm not at liberty to discuss tit-for-tat what's going on. As a matter of fact, I don't even care what he said. What I care about is going out there and doing my job, to the best I can do."

WHAT'S NEXTTigers: Right-hander Anibal Sanchez pitches against the Rangers at 7:05 p.m. CT on Wednesday at Globe Life Park. Sanchez has lost his last two starts and is 2-3 with a 7.84 ERA in six starts since the All-Star break. He had one scoreless relief appearance covering 2 1/3 innings against the Rangers earlier this year.

Rangers: Left-hander Cole Hamels pitches against the Tigers in the finale of the three-game series on Wednesday. Hamels has won two straight starts and has a streak of 11 consecutive scoreless innings. He is 3-2 with a 3.27 ERA in five career starts against the Tigers.